THESE words, which were spoken by Jesus Christ to his disciples in private, contain a more full declaration of his divine character, than he saw fit ever to make in public. In this conference, he acknowledged to his disciples, without reserve, that he was the promised Messiah. But, at the same time, "he charged his disciples, that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ."

[Page 6]THE occasion of these words was this: Christ had been inquiring of his disciples what opinion of him the public entertained. "Whom do men say, that I, the Son of man am? And they said, some say that thou art John the Baptist, some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets." He then asked them their own opinion. "Whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjo­na: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven."

THIS reply of Christ was expressive of his appro­bation of Peter's answer, and an implicit acknowl­edgment, that his opinion of his master was just. And, on account of the faith, expressed in his ans­wer, Christ pronounced him blessed; and intimated, also, that that faith, which entitleth to happiness, cometh not from man, but God. "Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church: and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

CHRIST was pleased, as Peter had made a good profession, frankly to declare himself to be the Mes­siah, or the STONE, laid for the foundation of the church, which had been foretold by the prophets; [Page 7] also, to declare the stability of the church.

THIS passage of scripture hath occasioned much controversy amongst the professors of christianity. The Papists have alledged, that, by this rock, on which Christ promised to build his church, was meant Peter, the word Peter signifying a rock, or stone. The Protestants, on the contrary, have maintained, that Jesus Christ himself was intended by this rock. Some, however, have supposed, that they might grant, that, by this Rock, Christ meant Peter, and the other Apos­tles, (in whose name Peter answered) without help­ing, in the least, the cause of the Papists, who wish, by the aid of this text, to establish the supremacy of the Pope, denominated, by them, the successor of the Peter; inasmuch, as Christ faith nothing about any successor of Peter, or of the other apostles; and as the apostles were, in a sense, the foundation of the church, as is intimated in Eph. ii. 20, "And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and pro­phets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone." Also, Rev. xxi. 14. "And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb."

As the apostles were instruments, which God employed, first to propagate the gospel, and set up the christian church, in the world, they were, in a sense, the foundation of the church. But, it doth not appear that Peter was a foundation, rather than [Page 8] the other apostles, nor, that any of them had successors in their office. The apostles were extraordinary officers, raised up, in the beginning of the age of christianity, to spread the gospel, and plant churches; and the office expired with those, who were at first honoured with it.

THAT Christ meant himself, and not Peter, it is also argued, from his varying the term, when he said On this rock, and not using the very word Peter, though that also signified a rock. He might, also, point out himself, in some way, when he uttered these words, as he probably did at another time, when he said, "Destroy this temple, and within three days I will rear it again." Some, then, understood him to speak of the temple, to which the Jews resorted for worship; "but he spoke of the temple of his body." So, in the passage under consideration, without doubt, he meant himself, by this rock, alluding to that pro­phecy in Isai. xxviii. 16. "Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation." As Peter had professed to believe, that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God, Christ proceeded, in addition to his profession, and said, "On this rock," On the stone spoken of by Isaiah—on Christ, whom you acknowledge me to be, "I will build my church."

CHRIST, in many places of scripture, is stiled a [Page 9] rock or stone, and is said to [...] foundation of his church. 1 Cor. iii. 11. "For other founda­tion can no man lay, than that laid, which is Jesus Christ."

FURTHER, it may be remarked upon the words of Christ in our text, that this mode of expression, which he used, I say also unto thee, denoteth the thing asserted to be true and infallible—that what he predicts will assuredly be accomplished. The thing asserted by Christ is, that he will build his church on a firm foundation; and, that the gates of hell—the powers of darkness—the church's adversaries, shall not prevail against it—shall neither be able to destroy it, nor, prevent its growth.

It is implied, in these words of Christ, that the powers of darkness will fight against the church; and affirmed, that they shall not prevail against it. We may, then, be led by our text, in the ensuing discourse, to consider

I. The opposition which hath hath been made to the church, and

II. The safety of the church, notwithstanding its adversaries.

I. LET us consider the opposition, which hath been made unto the church.

By the church are meant believers, or the multi­tude of the faithful, in the whole world, whether [Page 10] Jews or Gentiles. Though this church, when com­pleted, will be a glorious body, Christ being its head, and the banner displayed over it, LOVE; yet it hath its enemies! It was early foretold, even when the first intimations of the being of a church were given, that it would have a subtle, malignant foe. Gen. iii. 15. "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy feed and her seed: it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Further on in the sacred scriptures, we learn, that, by the seed of the woman, was meant Jesus Christ, as the head of his church; that satan is the serpent, and the adversary of Christ; and, that this ancient pre­diction intimated, that there would be war between satan and the church, in which, Christ, or the church, would receive some wounds, not mortal, as they were in the heel; but that satan would be bruised in the head—disappointed and ruined. We have some account of this war, in Rev. xii. 7. "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels." Michael is Christ; and by the dragon, as we are told in the following verse, was meant, "that old serpent, called the devil and satan, which deceiveth the whole world. "This sheweth, that the devil maketh great opposition to Christ and his church. Christ had no sooner begun to build up his church [Page 11] (which he did soon after the apostacy of Adam) than satan began to oppose him, and to attempt to destroy the church, or, prevent its growth. And that oppo­sition hath been carried on, in all succeeding ages, even to the present time.

SOME of the ways, in which satan hath fought against Christ, and endeavoured to prevent the growth of the church, are the following:

1. By tempting, and persuading, mankind to reject the offers, made unto them in the gospel.

IN that passage, just now quoted from Revelation, it is said, that the devil deceiveth the whole world, that is, a great part of mankind. The apostle saith, in 2 Cor. iv. 3—4, "If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them," It hence appeareth, that satan hath such influence upon many, as to prevent their receiving the gospel of Christ. Through the depravity of the human heart, men are easily deceived by satan, and prevailed upon to neglect the great salvation, offered to all in the gospel. Hence they are said to be "carried captive by him at his pleasure." By the artifice of satan, the gospel, as yet, hath been heard, but by the small­er part of mankind. And a great part, there is rea­son [Page 12] to fear, of those who hear it, are persuaded by satan to disobey, despise and reject it, and refuse to give their assistance, in building Christ's church, by becoming believers.

2. By prevailing upon some members of Christ's visible church to conduct in such a manner, as to bring a reproach upon religion.

CHRIST hath set up a visible church in the world, as a "light in a dark place," to enlighten the world, to recommend true religion, and induce many to embrace it. But, sometimes, members of the visible church, by their scandalous conduct, like David, "give great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme," bring religion into contempt, and, there­by, prevent the growth of the church. Whereas, if professors of religion conducted with propriety, and walked as becometh their profession, "others, by seeing their good works, might be led to glorify God."

Satan entered into Judas, and prevailed upon him to betray Christ; also, in tempting Peter to deny his Lord and Master, he proved successful. And how many of the professed friends of Christ, since that time, have, by their works denied him, and be­trayed his cause!

3. By propagating schisms, herefies, and pernicious doctrines.

THERE were, in the visible church, even in the [Page 13] apostolic age, false doctrines, divisions and heresies. One was for Paul, another for Cephas. Some con­tended earnestly for the observance of the Mosaic rites, denying, without this, the possibility of salvation. Some held, "that the resurrection was past already, and thereby overthrew the faith of some." And, in all ages since, satan hath prevailed upon some of the visible church to spread sentiments, which have a tendency to prevent the conversion of sinners, and to obstruct the increase of Christ's church. Also, this malicious foe hath succeeded, in his attempts to stir up strife and divisions in the visible church, and cause schisms and separations among the professed followers of the Lamb of God. How many sects, denominations, and parties, there are, in the Christian church! Some appear to imbibe gross errors and delusions, implicitly "denying the Lord who bought them." And others separate from, and hate, their brethren only for differing from them in opinion, with respect to modes, and rites, and non-essentials of religion. Such schisms and heresies have a tenden­cy to increase sceptics and infidels, and hinder the growth of the church of Christ.

4. By exciting persecution.

WICKED men, in almost every age, being instiga­ted thereto by Christ's adversary, have cruelly per­secuted the church. The prophets, who predicted [Page 14] the coming of Christ, were put to death. And he, and his apostles, fared no better.

SOON after Christ's church, through the instrumen­tality of the apostles, began to grow, the Jews severely persecuted it. Many, who professed christianity, were put to death. Afterwards, it was most violently persecuted, by the Roman Emperors, Nero, Domitian, Trajan, Severus, Dioclesian, and several others. And some of these persecutions were carried on, with such fury, as to threaten the utter extirpation of the church. Thousands of thousands were put to death, and many of them, in a most cruel manner, only for professing, and endeavouring to propagate, the christian religion. Many, wrapt in combustible matter, fell victims to the devouring flames; some expired in agonies, like their innocent master, upon the cross; others were drawn to pieces by wild beasts.

AN edict was made, by the bloody Emperor Decius, about the middle of the third century, by which, the Praetors, upon pain of death, were obliged to extirpate the whole christian sect. What distress among christ­ians, what horror, what torrents of blood, were occa­sioned by this!

AND, after the christian religion had so far prevailed, as to be established in the Roman empire;—when the pleasing hope of being persecuted no more, was excited in the breast of christians, then, Satan, by his [Page 15] wiles, brought upon the church, persecution, from a quarter, not in the least suspected. The visible church, in consequence of its establishment▪ as the national church, soon became so corrupt, as to com­mence a persecutor. Professed christians persecuted, to the death, other professed christians, because they differed from them in sentiments!

THE church of Rome, called the catholic church, had swerved so far from the simplicity and purity of the gospel, and introduced so many flagrant corrup­tions, from the relicks of paganism; that many conscientious christians were obliged to renounce some of her gross errors and pernicious practices. The consequence of which was, the reformers were persecuted, in the most unchristian, inhuman man­ner, and driven from the church, and declared to be heretics.

AT length, they were protected by some temporal princes; and the reformed religion was established in England, and several other places. But, astonish­ing to relate! the church called the reformed, which had once suffered persecution, became a persecutor herself. They refused those privileges to their breth­ren, which they had claimed, as the rights of man, for themselves. Those, who could not conscientiously conform to the established modes of the church of England, were persecuted, as severely, by that church, [Page 16] as the reformers, before, had been, by the papists. The same arguments, which they had formerly used, to judge their departure from the established corrup­tions of the church of Rome, were now offered to them, by their dissenting brethren, with as much rea­son, and with as little success, to justify their non-con­formity to what they deemed antiscriptural. The same pleas for liberty of conscience, which they had once made, in their turn, they imprudently and un­christianly rejected.

THIS persecution was the occasion of the settling of New-England. Those, who were persecuted in their native country, came into the wilderness of America to enjoy liberty of conscience, denied unto them at home, by their cruel and unrighteous brethren.

AND is it not a fact, that, wherever the christian religion hath been established as the national religion, none could enjoy liberty of conscience, without some degree of persecution, except that particular sect, or denomination, which happened to bear rule? Have not New-England and other parts of the United States been disgraced with persecution?

AND if, at any time, the civil government of any country, or nation, hath not allowed of men's suffering in their estate, or limbs, or life, for their religion, (as is now the case in the United States) Satan hath con­trived, and carried into execution, another species of [Page 17] persecution, even satire and banter, which, perhaps, is an improvement in the diabolical art, and better calculated to accomplish the purpose of its author, and obstruct the growth of Christ's church, than fire or sword, the wheel or gibbet, or any other instru­ment of cruelty.

5. By exciting professors of christianity to substitute superstition in the place of true and evangelical religion.

THE children of Israel, before Christ's day, as appeareth from the writings of the prophets, substi­tuted the observance of rites and sacrifices in the place of righteousness and mercy. The Pharisees, a reli­gious sect of Jews, in Christ's day, strictly and con­scientiously tythed mint, annise and cummin, whilst they neglected "the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith." And, how soon, the Christian church was corrupted, in this way! And to what an enormous height was superstition carried, by the Catholic church! how many rites and ceremo­nies, and some of them the most whimsical that could be imagined, were enjoined, by that church, to be religiously observed!

THE natural consequence of such superstition, is, to cause men, when they become in a certain degree enlightened, to disbelieve the divine origin of reveal­ed religion. They cannot readily distinguish be­tween genuine christianity, and its corruptions, blended with it, by the folly of men. Therefore, [Page 18] when they see so much superstition and false religion, mixed with christianity, they discard it all together; as many, at the present day, are doing in France, where superstition hath, for a long time, so greatly prevailed.

AND, without doubt, one reason of the increase of infidelity, in christian countries, is the prevalence of superstition among the professors of christianity. Let the christian religion be separated from supersti­tion, and be acted out, and taught, in its simplicity and purity, and it will recommend itself to every one, who is governed by reason. Then the age of reason, and the age of christianity, will be synonymous.

BUT, so long as professors of christianity are zeal­ous and conscientious about indifferent matters, and slack in the performance of moral duties, the growth of Christ's church will be obstructed.

THESE are some of the ways, in which satan hath been opposing, and fighting against, Christ and his church. But his opposition is in vain. This leads to the next thing proposed:

II. THE consideration of the safety of the church, notwithstanding its adversaries.

"THE gates of hell shall not prevail against it." The church is safe, notwithstanding all the opposition, made against it, by the powers of darkness.

BY the church's being safe, it is not meant, that every part of the visible church, or every individual [Page 19] visible church, shall be preserved, and continue to the end of time. For many, which flourished for a time, are now no more. Where are the churches, planted by the Apostles in Asia;—those, to which some of Paul's epistles were written, and to which john was ordered to write, Revelation? Their candlestick hath been removed out of his place. That country, once blessed with the residence of christian churches, is now inhabited, principally, by Mahometans and Pagans.

THE JEWS, formerly the church of God, have been cast off by Christ, for their unbelief and irreligion. And, probably, this is the case of some, who call themselves Christians. Christ threatened to spue the church of Laodicea out of his mouth, except they should repent: also the church of Ephesus were fore-warned of the removal of their candlestick out of his place, unless they should reform. And, long since, those threatenings have been executed.

NEITHER is it certain, that any one individual church, now on the earth, will endure to the end of the world. Most probably there will not. All are corrupt, and will be taken down, or pass a great change, by reformation. Probably, among all the sects, no one is entirely right. One hath one good qualification; and another, another: But all have their errors and imperfections, and most probably will be removed.

[Page 20]BUT by the safety of the church, as the phrase is used in this discourse, it is meant, that there shall be a visible church in the world, so long as the world en­dures; also, that Christ's invisible, or real church shall live forever.

THE safety of Christ's church, in these respects, depends on its foundation. Christ is the foundation of the church. It rests on him—on him it is de­pendent for its support, as a building rests on its foundation. If Christ, then, is a good foundation, the building, erected on him, will stand. And, in our text, Christ calleth himself a rock, which, is a firm foundation; and by the prophet, who foretold his coming, he is styled, "a precious corner-stone, A SURE FOUNDATION." The church, then, being built on such a foundation, is stable. And if the whole church be safe, then the individuals, of which the church con­sisteth, are safe, and cannot be destroyed: For if one individual, who was ever built on Christ, could fall from him, and perish, then why might not another, and the whole? How then is Christ a sure foundation?

THE safety of each real christian, and the impossi­bility of his perishing, are asserted by Christ, in Mat. vii. 24, 25. "Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doth them, I will liken him unto a wise man which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house: and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock."

[Page 21]MANY who have thought themselves to be real saints, and have been deemed such by others, may have their delusion discovered, their garb of hypocrisy stript off, and, perish: But every soul, built on Christ by faith, will endure, notwithstanding all the storms of temptation, which may assault him, and all the powers of darkness; for he is founded on a rock.

CHRIST'S being compared to a rock, denotes his strength and stability—that he is able to uphold his church. And if he is able, we may be sure that he will do it; for he hath expressly promised it. John vi. 37, 39. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." Also see John x. 27—29. "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all: and none is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." Here Christ declares, not only, that he will hold and save all that come unto him, but, that his Father, also, is engaged to hold them in his hand, that they may never perish.

THE safety, and continuance of the visible church, [Page 22] to the end of the world, depend on the same founda­tion, viz. the promise and power of Christ. The power and providence of God have preserved the visible church in the world, from the beginning to the present time. When the world was destroyed by a deluge, in Noah's day, the church was preserved in the ark. It was led, in safety, through the red sea, where the hosts of Egypt, pursuing it, were drowned. It hath been preserved through many bloody, and fiery persecutions. It hath been preserved through the revolutions, which have taken place, in the kingdoms of this world. Nations have been dispersed, subdu­ed, and extirpated from the earth: but the visible church hath survived.

SATAN hath often been disappointed, and baffled, in his attempts to destroy the church by persecutions, by their being over-ruled, in Divine Providence, so as to have an opposite tendency. Persecutions, sometimes, have been the occasion of spreading the gospel the more speedily, and enlarging Christ's kingdom. This was the effect of a persecution in Jerusalem, mentioned in the viiith of Acts: "And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem, and they were all scattered abroad, throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word."

The things, which God hath done to preserve [Page 23] and enlarge his church, may be considered as a sacred pledge, for the future accomplishment of all his promises concerning the prosperity and increase of his church, in the latter day. The church, which is compared to leaven, will be preserved, 'till it hath leavened the whole lump—'till it hath filled the whole world. For it is declared, by the spirit of prophe­cy, that, "In the days of these kings" (those spoken of in the preceding verses) "shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be lest to other people, but it shall break in pieces, and consume all those kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.